Professor Amobi Mike Uwaleke is an academician as well as an industrialist. Uwaleke who teaches Information and Communication Technology at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), is eyeing the governorship seat of Imo state on APGA platform. He opens up to CHIDIEBERE IWUOHA on his plans for the state if elected
Reason for my ambition
To provide services to my people and take Imo state to the next level. As a matter of fact, I want to give Imo people peace of mind by providing employment, integrated development, social amenities like water, electricity and good road network. I will embark on massive employment of Imo people and build industries as a bedrock for solving unemployment problems.
How do you hope to achieve this?
You know, governance in the state at the moment is run on ad-hoc basis in the state. What you should ask yourself is, how sustainable is the payment of N15,000 or N20,000 to graduates? You have to put up a policy that will massively industrialize Imo as employment is not created in vacuum. I own Comet group of hotels, computer concerns in Lagos, Bina industries and confectionaries. With all these, I have created employment. So, I know what I am talking about.
I will build big industries to create employment. The industries will accommodate primary and secondary schools and other facilities with community nature. While I build food processing industry in Orlu area, I will build vehicle assembly and manufacturing industry in Owerri. I will also provide good road network and provide integrated drainage system in the three senatorial zones of the state.
I will introduce effective refuse disposal infrastructure in the zones. Public transportation system is not in existence in Imo state at the moment, efforts will be made to initiate a good one under my government. For instance, the keke system of transportation will be modernized to meet the challenges of the 21st century. There should be set standards for the keke that would ply on Imo roads. They must be unified and managed under an association or company or group of individuals to manage, so that their services can be trusted.
Chances of picking APGA ticke
I am the most credible aspirant when compared with others, and that is why I am seeking my ambition under APGA, so that our people can enjoy the fruit of democracy. APGA is an Igbo party, the only party that recognizes the passion and aspiration of an Igbo man. It is a form of identity for Ndi Igbo because the party was established by our great hero, the Ikemba of Nnewi.
But the party is in crisis now.
We have only one APGA in Imo State. We are not in crisis. APGA made the incumbent governor and not the other way round even though he has left. By leaving APGA, it has not affected the conscience of an Igbo man. He sought governorship on the platform of APGA and they voted him in. Eventually, he turned back and stabbed APGA at the back. He will end up like Napoleon Bonaparte who fought against French Revolution and met his waterloo.
Don’t you think Okorocha’s personality gave APGA victory in 2011?
No, it was not his personality that gave us victory. Recall that before that time, he had lost the Orlu Senatorial seat where PDP won. Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe Zones voted for him because of their belief in APGA as an Igbo identity.
It is noteworthy that APGA has been winning elections in Imo state since the advent of democracy in Nigeria. So, Imo is an APGA state. Again, at those times, PDP was believed to have won in Imo state, democracy was on trial because there were cases of rigging, ballot box snatching and other forms of electoral malpractices. But Jonathan came in and changed all, which resulted in Okorocha’s victory in 2011.
Elections are now fairer than it had always been and a winner would now be declared. What we will look at in governorship now is credibility. Who among the various aspirants or candidates is credible? Who is more development oriented? Who is capable of bringing out Imo State from its problems? And who has the ability to launch Imo State to the next level with socio-economic people oriented policies, free and purposeful education and of course reduced school fees, free health facilities and medicare, gainful employment, large scale agricultural policies and pint point rural development?.
All the aspirants should place their CV’s on the table and let the best win. I may not be a money bag, but I have Imo people in mind. I want Imo people to reap the benefit of democracy and have peace of mind come 2015.
Assessing Okorocha’s administration
His government has taken N400 billion from Zenith and First bank as syndication and no industry was built in the state with that kind of money. If this money is used to build industries, employment will be solved. Food will be on people’s table. In education, he has not done well.
He has bitten more than he can chew. He promised free education at the university level, but what do we have today? You spend N20,000 to process a cheque of N100,000 and pay N75,000 as acceptance fee etc. Again, Imo University has lost its accreditation in some departments because of lack of structures. Education in Imo is politicized. In infrastructure, everything is poor. Taps are no longer functioning all over the state, public water has gone extinct, water board has gone down and their facilities are being sold to people.
Tourism has fallen,Imo Concorde Hotel has systematically gone down for Okorocha’s group of hotels to flourish. Public assets existing before he came to power have been sold to his family members, business associates and his companies. Our traditional rulership has been politicized. Our Ezes are now governors of Community Government Councils (CGC). He has systematically eroded the values of traditional institution in Imo state and it does not worth anything before Nigerians.
On roads, how many has he commissioned since he came on board? None. He has done well in the construction of uncompleted roundabouts and of course, parks like Freedom park, Heroes’park, Bongo Park, “Disabled park” etc. What is the contribution of these parks to the economic well being of Imo people. His government is good as government of the family by the family and for the family. Unless you are related to him you cannot get a meaningful job in the state.
On insurgency
Countries are coming to help us to get rid of Boko Haram. That is good. But I know that our government can do that. They should invest in security technology, information gathering and processing. They should also engage more committed security personnel to combat terrorism. If security agents can get undiluted information where they are and then a rapid response follows, the country will do better in combating terrorism. Not when response comes late after information is given.
National confab
They(delegates) are trying to find their feet. They have not put their feet down on what to do or how to go about it. They should look into the unity of the country and how to share the resources of the nation. They should also allow states and local governments to control resources found in their localities, look at revenue sharing formula, rotational presidency, religious tolerance and control because we don’t control religious practice and this has given way to insurgency.
